Christmas Lights in a Kid's Bedroom: Sleep and Safety Tips

Christmas lights in a kid’s bedroom can be pure magic, as long as they’re part of the bedtime routine, not the whole night. A warm, dim glow while you read the story helps a child wind down. But the room should go dark for sleep, and fire-safety advice is to switch light strings off before you go to bed yourself. For overnight comfort, a small, dim night-light kept away from the bedding is the better choice. For babies, keep strings and cords well away from the crib. Here’s how to keep the twinkle without losing the sleep, friend!

Does a festive glow help or hurt sleep?

Both, and it depends on timing.

Before sleep, a soft glow helps. The AAP’s HealthyChildren.org advice on healthy sleep habits says to “dim the lights prior to bedtime.” The NHS suggests dimming the lights in the room as part of a calm bedtime routine. Switching off the big overhead light and turning on a strand of warm white lights is exactly that, with extra sparkle.

During sleep, darkness wins. The Sleep Foundation’s guide to light and sleep explains that the body starts making melatonin, the sleepy hormone, in response to darkness, and that “excessive light exposure at night may interfere with melatonin production and sleep.” Its general rule: “it is best to sleep in as much darkness as possible.” It also says blue light, which many LEDs give off, has a bigger effect on the body clock. So if you do use lights, pick warm white or amber over cool white or blue.

Betteroo’s guide to a toddler’s wind-down hour makes the same point: dim the house after dinner and let the last steps happen in dim light, so the bedroom feels like a sleep space and not a bright, busy one.

Make the switch-off part of the celebration

The trick is to turn “lights off” into something your kids look forward to.

1. Lights on at pajama time. Overheads off and twinkle lights on. It’s a signal that the day is winding down.
2. Story by the glow. Read the bedtime book (a Christmas one counts!) by the strand of lights and a soft lamp.
3. “Goodnight, lights.” Your child says goodnight to the lights and switches them off, or watches you do it.
4. A dim night-light, if needed. For a child who likes some light, a small plug-in night-light stays on instead.
5. Same song, same kiss, same door. Then everything else stays exactly the same as the rest of the year.

From December 1, this works like a tiny celebration every night. It’s festive and predictable, so bedtime doesn’t stretch.

If December is full of parties and late nights, our guide to hosting a holiday party with a baby asleep upstairs covers the evenings when the house is anything but dim.

Safety rules before you hang a single strand

Kids’ bedrooms have beds, curtains, and small hands, so these rules matter more here than on the tree. They come from the AAP’s holiday decoration safety tips, the AAP’s baby’s room safety checklist, and NFPA’s Winter Holiday Safety tip sheet, as posted by the Town of Plymouth, Connecticut.

• Check every strand, even brand-new ones. The AAP says to check all lights before hanging them and make sure “there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.” NFPA says to replace any string with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
• Use indoor lights indoors. NFPA notes some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, not both.
• Don’t overload a chain. Both the AAP and NFPA say to read the manufacturer’s instructions for how many strands you can connect.
• Hang with clips or hooks, never nails. NFPA says to use clips so the cords don’t get damaged. The AAP suggests hooks or insulated staples, “not nails or tacks.”
• Keep strands up high. The AAP says to keep lights out of reach of young children “who might try to put lights in their mouths.” It also warns that light strands “may contain lead in the bulb sockets and wire coating, sometimes in high amounts,” so wash your hands after handling them.
• Battery lights have button batteries. The AAP warns that button and lithium coin batteries “can cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed,” and lists string lights as something to secure. Battery fairy lights in a kid’s room need a screwed-shut battery box, and spare batteries go nowhere near the nightstand.
• Keep lights away from curtains and bedding. The AAP’s room checklist says to “keep night-lights away from drapes or bedding where they could start a fire” and to “buy only cool night-lights that do not get hot.” The same thinking applies to anything glowing near a bed.
• Off before you go to bed. NFPA’s tip sheet is clear: “Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.”

That last rule is why Christmas lights aren’t an all-night night-light. They’re for the bedtime routine.

By age: what works in each room

Babies. Skip the lights near the crib. The AAP says: “Don’t let strings or cords dangle in or anywhere near the crib.” It also advises against placing a crib near a window, because of window-blind and curtain cords. Betteroo’s checklist for a dark, bare, cool baby room puts it plainly: “Most babies do not need a night light until they are past two years old.” It also suggests a dim, warm, red-toned light for night feeds, switched off afterward. Put the twinkle lights in the hallway or living room, and let baby enjoy them at the window before bed.

Toddlers. The lights go high, along a shelf or above the dresser, away from the curtains and the bed, with the plug behind furniture. Toddlers pull on things, so a strand they can reach is a strand they’ll grab. Run it during the routine and switch it off at lights-out.

Big kids. Give them the job! A six- or eight-year-old can own the “goodnight, lights” switch-off. If your child is scared of the dark, a warm amber plug-in night-light like the GE SleepLite gives a little glow without leaving a whole strand on. If a scary movie or story is behind the sudden fear, our guide to bedtime after a scary movie covers what to say before the lights go off.

Let a timer remember for you

The step that gets forgotten is the switch-off, especially on a night when you fall asleep next to your child during the story. A simple plug-in timer fixes that. Set it to turn the strand off about half an hour after lights-out, well before you head to bed yourself. A mechanical one like the BN-LINK 24-hour outlet timer needs no app or Wi-Fi.

The timer is a backup for the routine, not a replacement. “Goodnight, lights” still happens every night, because the ritual is what tells your child it’s time to sleep.

Nights before a big holiday morning can bring a hard-to-settle kid no matter how dim the room. Our wind-down for the night before something exciting is built for Christmas Eve.

Twinkle lights on, sleepy kids out. Betteroo builds an age-right bedtime and nap plan from a quick quiz, so the December glow fits into a routine that actually ends in sleep. Take the free sleep quiz →

FAQ

Is it safe to leave Christmas lights on all night in a child’s room?

Fire-safety advice says no. NFPA’s winter holiday tip sheet says to turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed. Use the lights during the bedtime routine, switch them off at lights-out, and use a dim night-light if your child needs one.

Do Christmas lights keep kids awake?

They can if they stay on. Light at night can interfere with melatonin, and blue-toned LEDs have the biggest effect. A warm glow during the story is fine. A dark room is better for sleep.

What kind of night-light is best for a child’s room?

Small, dim and warm-toned. The AAP says to buy night-lights that don’t get hot and to keep them away from drapes and bedding. Betteroo’s safe-sleep guide says a dim, warm, red-toned light is the least disruptive.

Can I put fairy lights around my baby’s crib?

No. The AAP says not to let strings or cords dangle in or anywhere near the crib. Enjoy the lights in another room, and keep the nursery dark and bare for sleep.

Twinkle at story time, “goodnight, lights” at lights-out, and a dark, safe room for sleep. That’s how the lights stay magical all December, you guys!